MSA FORWARD Educational Session Recordings

Session Description: After decades of being underutilized by museum administrators, museum stores are increasingly being revitalized as extensions of their institution. This trend, while all around beneficial for most institutions, provokes a pre-existing tension spaces that interpret death operate under; the need to balance commemoration and commercialization.
This presentation will use real world examples to illustrate how store design and inventory can impact a visitor’s experience at these spaces. It will also offer attendees some strategies to better balance commemoration and commercialization in their spaces.

Session Description: We operate in a hyper-competitive retail marketplace. Both buyers and vendors can dramatically improve the retail experience of museum store visitors by being willing to find new innovative options for increasing each other’s effectiveness. We all use the word “partnership” – hear from buyers and vendors about sensible and effective tools for use by both buyers and vendors to add a fresh spark of energy and effectiveness to existing relationships.  Buyers and vendors can make each other much more effective.  Let’s rejuvenate quality relationships by taking a few extra steps and going beyond the polite talk; let’s take tangible actions to form effective and lasting partnerships.

Session Description: Amp up your social media game by delving into the latest social media trends, getting to grips with algorithms, and creating captivating content with little-to-no budget.  After presenting to rave reviews in 2018, Luke is returning to MSA FORWARD in a session will be designed for you to take home practical tips on improving your social media strategy and have an opportunity for you to ask any burning questions about your own social media accounts.

Session Description: We’ve all heard the golden rule, treat everyone as you would like to be treated. This session flips that a bit and focuses on training our staff to test visitors as THEY would like to be treated. This includes welcoming the LGBTQ community, overcoming language barriers, welcoming visitors with disabilities and looking at our own businesses’ unique visitor types based on socio economic and psychographic differences as well as preferences on staff interaction and level of museum experience. By varying our approach to each customer, we can facilitate the best possible experiences and in return, the best business.

Session Description: A clearer picture of fair trade principles, code of practice, and issues in the fair trade movement, all with an emphasis on how attendees can participate or adapt their work to align with fair trade values.

Session Description: How you price your merchandise directly affects your store’s bottom line. By not taking the time to look at how your items are priced, your store is missing out on free money. Hear from industry consultants and seasoned buyers about how they have mastered the art and science of pricing, and the impact that’s had on their profits. This lively panel discussion will provide real-world success stories and 5 takeaway action items that you can implement in your store.

Session Description: Learn how to create objectives and then identify and train your staff to meet and exceed those objectives.

Session Description: Create a visual road map for your strategic merchandise plan, for the purpose of evaluating products, communicating to your organization, and enlightening your staff.

Session Description: This session would be on how to identify and ask someone to be your mentor. Also on how to lay the ground work and how to assess and achieve goals set up by the mentorship. This session could also be a starting point for people who want to mentor those in the early stages of their careers.

Session Description: Exhibition catalogues occupy a singular position of importance in museum retail, providing the greatest opportunity for revenue while also directly fulfilling the educational mission of our institutions. Catalogues also pose the greatest challenge, requiring a high level of strategic planning to maximize the highly profitable, but short-lived opportunities presented by special exhibitions while minimizing inventory investment and leftovers. A panel of museum store book buyers will discuss these issues and help equip attendees with the necessary tools to confidently develop their own effective sales and management strategies.

Session Description: A 45 minute presentation with one minute each tips on all aspects of retail operations. Attendees will be able to take short one-minute tips and immediately start using the tips in their stores.

Session Description: Use MSA’s Retail Industry Report to benchmark your store, ask for a raise, set goals, and improve your standing in your organization.

Session Description: What does it meant to be outsourced? Who are the major concessionaires? Why is it better for an institution to keep retail operations in-house? Though it’s often not your decision, what strategies can you take to keep your job?

Session Description: There are clearly legal requirements regarding accessibility in public places, but organisations can be too quick to categorise service provision for disabled people as just a business obligation rather than an opportunity; many improvements actually then go to provide an inclusive service for all, increasing footfall and sales. The consequence of failing to investigate accessibility and inclusivity can be a greatly missed opportunity. The Deep in Hull would like to share how it has strategically managed accessibility resulting in good practice, experiences and practical examples, growing staff confidence, engagement and job satisfaction, excellence in service delivery standards/customer feedback and commercial expansion through audience reach and new markets.

Session Description: Buying is typically a matter of walking through a store, looking at merchandise and, if all goes well, buying something. But entering a museum gift store should be as engaging and, even, riveting, as the exhibits. Even more, it will drive them to the Web site and other follow-on purchases. To achieve this entails low-to-no cost strategies outlined in the session from telling product stories to creating a visceral, hands-on display. These ideas are based on research indicating why people buy, what input triggers specific responses and more…All while upholding the professionalism of a museum environment.

Session Description: From a physical perspective, what is vital to your store’s success? And what is dynamic about your store to the explorers it serves? Lisa Uhrik will share findings and observations drawn from successful museum stores and introduce the concept of timeless pattern languages that are consistently evidenced in successful spaces. Take stock of your strengths and opportunities for learning and discovery as you prepare to better engage and connect with customers while feeding both your sales and your mission.

Session Description: Learn how to create and implement a successful marketing and sales strategy that communicates to your patrons, the importance and value of your museum store on Museum Store Sunday and beyond.

Session Description: By leveraging the power, speed, and low minimum investment of new technologies, services, and vendor marketplaces, MSA members can effectively compete against traditional retail stores. Using the resources and techniques learned in this session, attendees will offer truly unique products that will enhance and extend the visitor experience well beyond the initial trip to the museum.